The Weekender + All the Thanks

This week has completely passed us by, and it’s been unconventional in the best possible way. We returned home from Malibu on Saturday, hugged my parents goodbye on Sunday (they kept our home cozy and little Lucy, Jack, CC and Libby happy while we were away), and we celebrated with Domino on Tuesday! In-between, we’ve been prepping for our guest room refresh – having finally landed on the perfect dark, smokey gray – and gearing up for big changes in our living room. We’ve been sharing more behind-the-scenes updates in these saved Stories, if you’d like to see! Psst: All this shuffling has us posing a big question at the bottom of this post.

But let’s talk about Domino! We were voted by all of you as this year’s Modern Maverick in the Design Blog Awards! Guys. Thank you. Thank you! So, um, what is a Modern Maverick? This category speaks to a blog that is:

… Colorful, characterful and relish in discovering and sharing new experiences. They value character and community and have an affinity for the quirky, colorful and unexpected.

Alongside a crew of some incredibly talented bloggers, we were all honored in an adorable and, not surprisingly, well designed event hosted by Domino at Hotel Zachary, located in our own hometown of Chicago (and right across the street from Wrigley!). Those cute spray painted trophies were show stealers – a throwback, for sure. (We even brought home a tiny pink one for the shelves in the nursery.) It was a pinch-us moment to be in such creative company and to be able to catch up with friends, new and old. We’ve been blog hopping and digging into the archives of all the winners, feeling more and more inspired with every click. You can catch up with them, too, right here:

Recently, we were interviewed by Domino, and they asked us what it meant to us to be named a Modern Maverick. (Seriously, pinch us.) Our response? Winning this award reminds us that we have a responsibility to be cheerleaders for our friends (you!) that are also making their way in the DIY realm. As a Modern Maverick, we’re called to foster a sense of community. We’ve strived for that for as long as we’ve been sharing online. Thank you for recognizing that within us, but it’s so much more than that. We’re cultivating a space to learn, create and inspire—and that works both ways! Here’s the whole interview.

What Else?

• We restrained ourselves from impulse buys while in Malibu, but we couldn’t help ourselves when it came to this tea towel. It’s much too sweet for kitchen use, don’t you think? We thought it would look great in Lucy’s room – someday! – and we’ll get it float-framed in something simple, like this.

• Speaking of Malibu and Lucy, I shared my thoughts on traveling while nursing, and we were surprised by the amount of interest! For a getaway as long as ours, it initially felt impossible. It took us months of research to figure out the best way to make it happen, but we successfully returned home with endless Lucy meals. Thank you for letting us know that we weren’t alone! We’ll share more in a full post, but are there any specific concerns or worries you’d like us to address?

• The other day, a friend asked if I had been doing my makeup differently. You look so glowy!, she said. This is my secret.

And a question for you:

We’ve been all over the place this week, and we’re hoping to start tidying the house back up over the weekend. That might just be wishful thinking, but Scott always reminds me, you have to make a mess to clean a mess. We’re so excited for all of these changes our home will see in the coming month(s), and we still surprise ourselves with how much we are craving this change. After Lucy came into our lives, we began to see our home through different eyes, and we’re eager to make it feel more like ‘us’ than ever before. But as we’ve been going through our rooms, we’ve been setting aside items that we think – we hope! – some of you might love.

That brings us to our question: Would our Chicago area friends be interested in a quick and fun local flash sale? We could set up shop for a handful of hours in a rented studio space and you could shop, browse and chit chat. Think of it as a much more personal and curated yard sale. With coffee. And donuts! As much as we’d love to be able to ship items, some things would be too large and the logistics could get out of control – although we may consider doing shipping for anything remaining after the sale.

We’d like to donate the net proceeds to non-profit organizations that are dear to our hearts, and we would absolutely be thrilled if anyone would like to offer up coffee, quick bites, small plates, etc. Chicago area bakers or baristas, we’re looking at you!

If we did this, would you come? Please let us know your thoughts or any other ideas you may have! We’ve been tossing around the idea for weeks, and we’d like to bring it to life.

Yes, yes, yes!! Would love to finally meet you and talk all things baby, pet, Michigan!ReplyCancel

Elizabeth10.26.18 - 10:28 AM

Drat! I just moved away from Chicago this summer. I’m bummed to miss this!ReplyCancel

Aileen Wenzel10.26.18 - 10:29 AM

Unrelated but on my mind, will you be getting Lucy a baby’s 1st Christmas ornament? I am on the hunt for one for my son and love your style (seriously cute sweatshirt) so I thought I’d check with you too.ReplyCancel

Cait10.26.18 - 11:50 AM

Yes, I love the idea of a flash studio sale! What a great idea! And you are in my neighborhood!ReplyCancel

Would you share how you stored and transported the milk while flying? Where you pumped while flying? Did you have a schedule? I’m on my way home from one night from Indiana to New York and currently pumping in a gate area with my nursing cover over me. None of the NYC airports apparently have nursing rooms and I rather not pump in a bathroom, private or no.ReplyCancel

Bernadette10.28.18 - 7:11 PM

100% yes to a flash sale! I still love my outdoor coffee table I got from your craigslist listing – what a pleasant surprise when you were the sellers :)ReplyCancel